


Gravitate

by The_Never_Forgetters



Category: Sherlock(tv)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, M/M, Teacher/Student Roleplay
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-17
Updated: 2017-02-15
Packaged: 2018-01-09 01:36:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 19,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1139895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Never_Forgetters/pseuds/The_Never_Forgetters
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John comes to school one day looking worse then usual and Sherlock questions it. They're pulled together throughout the school year, coming closer then they thought. </p><p>This is a role play that I lost a long time ago. We never got to finish it and I forgot her name. But it is my favorite and I'm trying my best to recreate it and hopefully finish it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

John hiked his bag further up on his shoulder as he marched down the halls of the school. Blood was dripping from nose as he made his way to his first class of the day. He stopped outside the door, wiping the blood from his nose smearing it on his school shirt. He winced though when he wiped the blood. Maybe his nose was broken.  
Shaking his head he pushed open the door to the classroom heading straight for the back hoping that the infamous Sherlock Holmes wouldn’t notice him. His teacher had quick eyes and could see almost anything that was going on. That’s why John wasn’t surprised to be stopped by Mr. Holmes just as he reached his seat.  
“Mr. Watson,” Sherlock’s voice traveled easily across the room. “Would you mind explaining to me why you are late?” His eyes narrowing as he looked at the seventeen year old. John wasn’t as rowdy and rambunctious as the other students were. Sherlock didn’t mind him as much as he did the other students.  
When the teen turned though, Sherlock had to bite the inside of his lip as he saw the beaten look on John’s face. Blood seemed to cover the front of his shirt along with his sleeves where it seemed John was trying to stop the bleeding. “Mr. Watson, to the nurses now,” he said. “Class, turn to page 345 and read chapter eleven.”  
John groaned and dropped his bag in an empty seat and walked to the door, trying to ignore the other’s as they stared. Sherlock went to the door and opened it for John. “What happened?” he asked once they were in the hall way.  
John looked to his feet as they walked. He really didn’t want to tell him. “Nothing too bad,” he mumbled, wiping at the blood again.  
Sherlock shook his head. “Your nose is bleeding, you have a black eye, and your lip is split open,” he told him, “it is bad.”  
John didn’t know that all that was actually wrong with him. He hadn’t been able to take a proper look at himself. He might as well tell. “I was mugged on the way to school,” he told him. “I think they were people from here too but I’m not too sure. They weren’t wearing a uniform or anything.” He rubbed his knuckles where they were bruised. “I got them back.”  
Sherlock couldn’t keep the proud smile from his face. “Good on you,” he said as he opened the door to the nurses office. No one seemed to be there. He sighed and shook his head. “Never here when you need them.” He looked around as he tried to find something to stop the bleeding from John’s nose. He grabbed what looked like gauze and handed it to the teen. “I suggest you go home after this. Get some rest.”  
John shook his head. He couldn’t. His dad wouldn’t like that idea one bit. “I’ll be fine at school,” he said. “Plus I have practice to go to. Don’t want to miss one of those unless I want the coach on my back.”  
That was right. John was on the rugby team. He could tell by the look on John’s face he wasn’t going to get anywhere with his words. “Fine,” he murmured. “You don’t have to go but I want you to take it easy.”  
“I can definitely try that Mr. Holmes,” John said with a small smile. He glanced at his teacher and sighed. “We should be heading back to class. You know how we get when there’s not a teacher in the room.”  
Sherlock laughed and nodded. “Of course I do,” he said. “Everyone doesn’t think that we know what goes on when we leave the room. No work gets done. That’s why I’m going to quiz everyone on it tomorrow.”  
John laughed and shook his head. “I know what I’m doing tonight,” he mumbled. “Thanks for the heads up Mr. Holmes.” He walked out of the nurse’s office feeling slightly better than before. At least he didn’t have blood gushing down his face now. “Am I allowed to warn the others?” he asked over his shoulder.  
“No,” Sherlock said. “We’ll let it be a surprise for everyone else. Don’t worry.”  
John laughed and stopped outside Sherlock’s door. He bit his lip and looked up at Sherlock for a moment. “Thank you Mr. Holmes,” he murmured. He opened the door and went back to his seat.  
For the remainder of class John tried to catch up on his reading. He didn’t have much time to do homework after school because of practice then his chores at home. When the bell rang John jumped from his seat and headed for the door.  
“Mr. Watson,” Sherlock said. “Please stay for a moment longer.”  
John stopped and help back the soft groan as he turned. “Yes sir?” he asked, giving him a small smile.  
“Will you promise me you’ll take it easy?” Sherlock asked.  
John nodded. “Yes, I will promise to try to take it easy,” he said.  
“Also try to remember what those guys look like,” Sherlock said. “I want to get them before they get someone else. Understand?”  
“Yes sir,” John said with a nod. He looked down at his feet for a moment before looking back up at Sherlock. “Thank you sir, you helped a lot today.”  
“Anytime Mr. Watson,” Sherlock said. “Really.”  
John smiled and nodded once more. “See you tomorrow Mr. Holmes,” he said. He turned and ran from the room.  
Sherlock smiled and leaned back in his chair. Not all his students were bad. No, John Watson was better than the rest. He somehow raised the bar so high that no one could reach it.  
Sherlock pulled out a small note book and wrote down John’s name in it. He bit his lip and sat back. This was going to be interesting.  
X  
The next day John went to class earlier then before so he could finish up the reading. He found his regular seat up front and started to skim through the paragraphs. He was startled from his reading by the deep voice of his teacher. “Mr. Watson,” Sherlock said with a smile.  
John bit his lip and looked up at him. “Yes Mr. Holmes?” he asked.  
“Weren’t you supposed to do that last night?” Sherlock asked with an amused smile.  
“I was going to do it but I had practice then I had to make dinner and clean up around the house and by the time I was done I was so tired I passed out right when I got to my room and…I’m sorry sir,” John said quickly.  
Sherlock shook his head. “Don’t worry about it, you’re finishing it now,” he said. “Just hurry up. The quiz is starting right when class starts.”  
John nodded. “Of course sir,” he said. He went right back to reading.  
X  
The quiz went well; for John at least. He was one of three that didn’t fail it, got the second highest grade out of the class to be exact. He was rather proud of himself.  
When the bell rang John stood up and was heading for the door when Sherlock stopped him again. “Mr. Watson, you did well on that quiz,” he said, “for just finishing the reading earlier this morning.”  
John blushed a bit and looked down. “Thank you sir,” he said. “I did try my best this time.”  
“And it showed,” Sherlock said. He stood up. “What’s your next class?”  
“PE,” John told him.  
“I’ll walk with you,” Sherlock said. “I need to go to the office anyway.”  
John nodded, trying his best to keep the smile from his face. Sherlock was becoming his favorite teacher and fast. “I’ve been trying to think of who mugged me yesterday sir,” he said. “I got a face in my head but no name.”  
“That’s understandable,” Sherlock said. “That happens a lot with people who get mugged, or assaulted in anyway.”  
John nodded. “I’m sure they went to this school though,” he told him. He paused and stopped walking. He looked down the hall at another teen. “Wow,” he mumbled. “That’s him Mr. Holmes.”  
“Are you sure?” Sherlock asked as they approached the boy.  
“Positive,” John said. “It’s the same hair, the smile. And that’s his friend, the one with the black eye.”  
Sherlock nodded and tapped the teen on his shoulder. He knew the boy. “Mr. Banks, you and your friend here are coming with me to the office.”  
“What?” Banks asked, turning to look at the teacher. His eyes landed on John. “Oh, god.” He turned and they made their way to the office.  
All of them piled into the principal’s office. The principal, Mr. Jamison, stared at them all. “Alright, start explaining why you’re all in my office,” he said.  
Sherlock opened his mouth to start telling John’s story but Banks beat him to it. “We were walking around yesterday and then this bloke here,” he pointed to John, “pulls my buddy into the alleyway and starts beating him up.”  
Mr. Jamison looked to John. “Is that true?” he asked.  
John shook his head. “Not a single bit of it,” he said. “I was on my way to the bus stop when they tugged me and started beating the crap out of me.”  
“Then how did Bert here get his black eye?” Banks asked.  
“I fought back,” John said. “Sir, I was on the ground and they were kicking me, ask Mr. Holmes. I came in with a nearly broken nose and a few good bruises myself. I would never just randomly beat someone up.”  
“It’s true sir,” Sherlock said. “His wallet was stolen as well.” John nodded quickly in agreement.  
Mr. Jamison sighed and looked between the two groups. “Alright, suspension for all three of you,” he said. “John, you’re out of the rugby season for the rest of the year.”  
John’s stomach dropped. He stared at the man with wide eyes. He couldn’t believe what he just said. He stood up and ran from the office.


	2. Chapter 2

Sherlock watched John run out before chasing after him. He found him in the middle of the hall, hyperventilating. The teacher quickly went to his side and grabbed his shoulders. “Breath John,” he told him. “Deep breaths. Calm down.”   
John looked up at him, his eyes wide as he tried to calm down. “I…I…I don’t have anything else,” he huffed. He slowly sat down on the floor. “Rugby is all I have. There are only three games left. I was just defending myself.”   
“I know,” Sherlock told him as he knelt with him on the floor. “I’m going to try to get you a smaller punishment. You don’t deserve what they get.”  
Sherlock stood up and gently rubbed his shoulder. “I’ll be back, John,” he said. “Go to your next class and I’ll talk with you at lunch.”   
John nodded slowly and stood up. “Thank you Mr. Holmes,” he said. He wasn’t ready to lose the one thing he was proud of in life. “See you at lunch.” He went off towards the gym.   
Sherlock turned back to the office, his face set in a firm look. He marched back into the small room, the other two boys gone. “Sir, with all due respect you are an idiot,” he said.   
Mr. Jamison stood and raised an eyebrow. “Want to run that by me one more time Holmes?” he asked.   
“Watson was defending himself,” Sherlock said. “He has no right to get the same punishment as the attackers do.”   
Mr. Jamison sighed. “He inflicted harm unto another student, in the rules it says those who fight get suspended and lose any special privileges.”   
“Sir, it’s all he has,” Sherlock said. “Give him a lesser punishment. I’ll take him on, give him detention. Have him help out around the school. Just let him play out his last three games here.”   
Mr. Jamison was quiet for a moment, biting his lip as he thought. “Fine,” he sighed. “He can play out the last three games but he has detention with you for the rest of this week.”   
Sherlock grinned. “Thank you,” he said. “You won’t regret it. Honestly.” He turned quickly and left the room.  
X  
Later that day at lunch Sherlock found John sitting with his friend Mike at a table, the teen didn’t look too happy. Sherlock quickly went to where he was and leaned against the table. “Mr. Watson, I got some great news,” he said.   
A smile grew on John’s face as he looked up. “I can play?” he asked.   
Sherlock nodded. “You have the last three games to play,” he said. “You just have to serve detention with me and that shouldn’t be that hard.”  
John nodded. “What about practice?” he asked.   
“Do you have it every day?” Sherlock asked. John shook his head. “Then you can serve a whole detention on the days you don’t have practice and serve half a detention on the days you do.”   
John nodded. “Okay,” he said. “Thank you Mr. Holmes. You are amazing.”   
Sherlock smiled. “I know I am,” he said. “Have a nice day Mr. Watson, see you after school.”   
X  
John hurried to make it up to Sherlock’s classroom. He didn’t want to be late on his first day to detention. He knocked on the door before slipping in. “Mr. Holmes,” he said, smiling when he saw him behind his desk packing up his back. “I’m ready for whatever you want me to do.”   
Sherlock smiled. “Actually, I got roped into helping with the school play for the end of the year and I need someone to help me paint the sets and put everything together.”   
John nodded with a shrug. “I think I can handle that,” he said. “We have all the supplies correct?”   
Sherlock nodded as he rolled up his sleeves. “Follow me,” he said leading him to the auditorium. He pushed open the doors to the back and showed him the set pieces they had to put together. “It should take the rest of the week.”   
“How long do I have detention?” John asked as he took off his school sweater. He set it off to the side and started looking over the set pieces.   
“Just the rest of this week,” Sherlock explained. He laughed at the small groan that came from John. “You could be sitting at home for the next week if you want to.”   
John shook his head quickly. “No sir,” he said. “I have chores to do at home; I don’t want to spend all day doing them.”   
Sherlock smiled. “Exactly,” he said. He picked up the tools he was given. “You hold them up and I knock in these nails?”   
John nodded. “Sounds like a great idea Mr. Holmes,” he said. He lifted up a piece and they started.   
X  
By the end of their detention the two of them were covered in paint sitting against the wall laughing. “I told you, you shouldn’t have put the can up on the ladder,” John laughed.   
Sherlock shook his head, wiping the paint from his hair. “I’ll have to buy a new can of blue now,” he mumbled. He looked over at John and started laughing again.   
John dropped his head as he chuckled and ran his fingers through his hair. His phone started buzzing in his pocket. He pulled it out, careful not to get paint on it as he checked who called him. He swore under his breath and stood up. “I have to go Mr. Holmes,” he said.   
“Your friends need you?” Sherlock asked as he stood up.   
John shook his head. “I forgot to tell my dad that I wasn’t staying late and now he’s angry,” he said. “I got a lot to do tonight. I’ll see you tomorrow.”   
“Do you need a ride home?” Sherlock asked. He bit his lip, wishing the words didn’t come out. He couldn’t drive students home. “I mean, it might get you home quicker.”   
John nodded quickly. “Please sir,” he said. “That would be so much help.”   
Sherlock nodded and grabbed his jacket. He paused for a moment and looked around. “We should probably wipe ourselves off first.”   
John grabbed his sweater and started using that to clean himself. “I have to do laundry anyway,” he said. “I really don’t want to get in anymore trouble as it is.”  
Sherlock nodded, leaving the auditorium, he would clean everything later. He didn’t want John to get in trouble either.   
They rushed out to the parking lot to Sherlock’s car and Sherlock unlocked it just as they reached it He pulled open the door and slipped in. “Where do you live?” he asked.   
“42 Hanson Road,” John told him as he buckled up. He sent a quick text to his dad telling him he was on his way. “It seems like another early morning tomorrow.”   
Sherlock sighed as he started driving. “I’m sorry,” he told him. He was truly sorry. He really didn’t want the boy to get in trouble at all, at home or at school. “I’ll help you with any homework tomorrow.”   
John smiled and looked over at him. “Thank you again,” he laughed. “I don’t think I can really thank you enough for all you are doing for me.”   
Sherlock bit his lip and nodded. “You don’t have to thank me at all,” he assured him. “You’re a good student and you have great potential. I don’t want you falling behind because of something like this.”   
John could only smile more. “It wouldn’t be good to show a school that I want to get into that I was a bad kid,” he said, “getting into all these fights.”   
Sherlock let out a small chuckle and nodded. “Yeah, you’re as bad as they get,” he murmured. “No one should let their kids near you.”   
John glanced over at him. “It’s okay, none of them want to come near me anyway,” he said.   
Sherlock frowned a bit but didn’t want to show it. “Hey, I know how that is,” he said. He glanced out the window. “How far do you live?”   
“It’s quite a walk,” John said. “My bus pass was stolen so I can’t take the bus back.”   
Sherlock ran his hands through his hair, groaning as he felt the paint. “I forgot about that,” he mumbled. He wiped the paint on his pants before looking over at John. “I can give you a ride home if you want one from now on.”   
“Really?” John asked. “I’m sure you’re not even allowed to let me in the car.”   
Sherlock laughed. “I’m not but I really don’t care at the moment,” he said. “A student is in need and I stay after most often anyway.”   
John licked his lips and almost thanked him again but he stopped himself. “Cool,” he said. “I’ll take you up on that offer Mr. Holmes.”   
Sherlock nodded. “Alright,” he said. He pulled up to the house. “This is you my friend.”   
John smiled and slipped out of the car. “Thank you Mr. Holmes,” he said. “I know you are tired of hearing it but this is the last time. I swear.”   
“Sure it is, Mr. Watson,” Sherlock said. “Have a good night. I’ll see you tomorrow.”   
“See you tomorrow sir,” John said. He turned and went inside.   
Sherlock watched him go with a soft sigh. He shook his head. What is he getting himself into?


	3. Chapter 3

In class John paid more attention to the lecture. He wanted the best scores out of the class and it shouldn’t be that hard. He kept catching Sherlock’s eye and laughed a few times as he noticed blue flakes still in the man’s hair.   
Sherlock noticed John laughing whenever he looked up at him. He couldn’t keep the smile from his face, probably confusing the other students. After a while Sherlock had enough of John’s chuckling and put the students on quiet study.  
John ducked his head down into his book, his eyes going over the pages quickly as he tried to take in the information before he saw Sherlock’s shiny shoes in front of him. He glanced up, trying to stop himself from laughing more.   
“What’s so funny Mr. Watson?” Sherlock asked as he bent forward.   
John bit his lip, letting out a small laugh. “You’ve got a bit of blue stuff in your hair sir,” he told him. “From yesterday.”   
Sherlock frowned and ran his hands through his hair. He let out a small groan as he saw the paint chips come out. “I thought I got it all,” he mumbled. “I guess not. Thank you for telling me now Mr. Watson.” He tried to look mad as he turned and went back to his seat.   
“Sorry sir,” John mumbled, looking back down to his book.   
Sherlock smiled and leaned back in his chair. He couldn’t get angry at the teen. He was just having a good time. His smile and laugh were great things to hear. He shook his head and shut his eyes. He shouldn’t be thinking that.   
The bell rang and Sherlock watched his students leave, some of them wiping drool from their chins. He shook his head, knowing they were going to fail their next test.   
John stopped at his desk again. “Sorry for not telling you about the paint in your hair earlier,” he said.   
“It’s fine Mr. Watson,” Sherlock said. “I understand you were having your fun with it.” He smiled at John and ruffled his own hair. “It’s fine, really.”   
John nodded. “If you say so sir,” he said. “See you after school.”   
X  
John went to Sherlock’s room to ready to start another day of painting. This time he had a change of clothes just in case something happened before practice. He got in enough trouble the night before for bringing in a mess.   
Once he got up to the teachers room he opened the door but noticed the man wasn’t there He groaned and jogged down to the auditorium, the man wasn’t there either. John bit his lip and noticed that the back door was propped open. He moved over to it and peeked outside. “Mr. Holmes,” he said, “I’ve been looking all over the place for you.”   
Sherlock turned to him and put out his cigarette. “I was just starting early,” he told him, “thought I come out for a smoke.”   
John nodded as he slipped outside. “I see you didn’t get the paint out of your hair yet,” he said. He reached up and plucked a rather large piece out. “You got a bit of red in there now.”   
Sherlock nodded. “I’m going to take a long shower after this,” he said. He tried not to focus on how John felt comfortable enough to pull something from his hair.   
“I’m going to be taking a long shower whether I get dirty here of not,” John laughed as he turned to look at their work for the day. “I’m going to be leaving early today, don’t forget.”   
“I don’t forget things easily Mr. Watson,” Sherlock said with a sidelong smile. He grabbed the paint cans and brushes before he went over to a house they were supposed to be painting. “Let’s get to work.”  
John smiled as he took the brush from Sherlock and the can of the red paint. “With pleasure,” he said.   
X  
Half of the job was done. It might not take them the rest of the two days to finish all the work. John looked at the time. “Alright Mr. Holmes, it’s time for me to head to practice,” he told him. He cleaned off his brush and set it aside. “Are you sure you’ll be alright by yourself?”   
Sherlock nodded. “I was doing it earlier, I can do it now,” he said. “Do you still need a ride today?”   
“Yeah, I’ll take the ride,” John said. “My practice ends at five so maybe five thirty?”   
“Okay Mr. Watson,” Sherlock said with a grin.   
John smiled. “Thank you sir,” he said before grabbing his bag and running off.   
Sherlock smiled as he watched him go. He turned back to the work and happily painted until it he thought he had done enough for the day.   
He packed everything back up and checked his phone to make sure no one texted him while he was at work. It was odd, no one ever texted him but he still checked.   
Sherlock pulled on his jacket and started to head outside. He walked to the field and leaned against the fence. He watched them practice for the last half hour and then waited for John to show up.   
Sure enough at five thirty John showed up, a large smile on his face as he approached Sherlock. “I saw you watching,” he told him. “Do you like rugby?”   
Sherlock shrugged. “Don’t really understand the sport,” he said. “I was just waiting for you guys to finish.”   
John nodded. “You should come to the game this Saturday,” he said. “It will be great.”   
Turning it over in his mind Sherlock shrugged again. “Maybe I’ll make it,” he said. “I don’t know though. I have a full Saturday.” He saw John’s face fall a bit. “I was joking Mr. Watson.”   
John sighed in relief. “That’s good,” he said. “I would love for you to come. Have a fan in the crowd.”   
“You have plenty of fans,” Sherlock stated with a laugh. “I’ll try to make it. No promises.”   
John nodded. “Of course,” he said. “I won’t hold you to anything.” He opened the passenger door and climbed in. He buckled up and settled down in the seat.   
Sherlock smiled as he got into his own seat. “You look tired,” he said.   
“I am,” John said. He rubbed his eyes and leaned against the window.   
“Sleep,” Sherlock said. “I’ll wake you when we get there. Don’t worry.”   
John smiled and shut his eyes. “Sounds like a good plan Mr. Holmes,” he yawned.   
Sherlock started driving, watching out of the corner of his eye as John slowly fell asleep. He smiled and leaned back with a happy sigh.   
X  
Sherlock shook John awake, trying to be as gentle as he could. John sat up and rubbed his eyes as he looked around. “Oh, we’re here,” he murmured. He looked to Sherlock. “Thanks for the ride Mr. Holmes, and thank you for letting me sleep.”   
“What did I say about thanking me?” Sherlock asked.   
John gave him a sheepish smile. “Not to do it,” he mumbled. “It’s a bad habit of mine. I’ll try to stop.”   
Sherlock laughed quietly and shook his head. “You never will,” he said. “Now you better get inside and take that shower, you smell.”   
“Hey, I took one already,” John stated in his defense. “It’s just the showers at the school aren’t that well without proper soap.”   
Sherlock laughed more. He saw a man peek out the window. “I think your father sees you,” he said. “Better get inside.”  
John nodded and grabbed his bag. “See you tomorrow at the same time Mr. Holmes,” he said as he climbed out.   
“Of course Mr. Watson, I can’t wait,” Sherlock grinned,  
John shut the door and slowly went to the house. He watched his teacher drive off with a smile before going inside.


	4. Chapter 4

John was walking on cloud nine as he walked into Mr. Holmes class the next morning. The week had been looking up for him. It was nearly the weekend and he had a date later that night. He couldn’t ask for anything better.   
He sat in his seat and tapped his pen as he read over his book. Mike sat next to him before the bell rang. “So, a date with Sarah?” he asked. “You are a lady’s man, John.”   
John grinned and nodded. “Yeah, yeah, yeah,” he mumbled. “She asked me out for tonight.”   
“I know, I heard,” Mike laughed. He clapped his hand on his shoulder. “I’m just so happy for you John. You’ve been single forever.”   
Sherlock glanced from his papers as he listened to the two boys. John had a date? Well good for him. His stomach twisted though as he kept listening to the conversation. He couldn’t pinpoint why he had that feeling but it wasn’t a good one to have.   
The bell rang and everyone quieted down. Sherlock was still sitting there, not talking or anything. After ten minutes the students started talking.   
Mike turned back to John. “So, I’m going to take her to that diner down the street from here,” John told him. “I heard she really likes it.”  
Mike laughed. “Good choice,” he muttered.   
John opened his mouth to say something but Sherlock stood up. “Class is dismissed early,” the teacher said.   
John raised an eyebrow and silently wondered what was wrong with his teacher but he didn’t let it get to him too much. He started to put his things away, still talking about his date with Sarah.   
“That means leave you two,” Sherlock said, shooting a look at Mike and John, “now.”   
John tried not to frown as he stood up. “Come on, let’s go to the library,” Mike said.   
“I’ll catch up with you,” John told him. He watched Mike leave before going to Sherlock’s desk. “Mr. Holmes, are you alright?”   
Sherlock glanced up at him. “Mr. Watson, when I told you to leave I meant it,” he said. “Go.” He didn’t know why he felt so weird but he didn’t want to hear about that date anymore.   
John swallowed hard and nodded. He turned and quickly left the room.   
Sherlock watched him go, letting out a low groan when he was finally left alone. He covered his face with his hands, trying to sort out his head.   
What was wrong with him? He never felt this odd in his whole life. He stood up and grabbed his cigarettes. He pulled on his jacket and left the room.   
X  
The rest of the day John’s mind was seesawing between two different things. Mr. Holmes and Sarah.   
He was so happy to have a date. The last day he had he was eleven and his mother was alive to help him with the tie. He also really liked Sarah. Had for weeks and almost everyone known it.   
He would even be able to get home in time to finish all his chores and have dinner ready for his dad by five. He could pick Sarah up and take her to the diner. He would be back in time to finish his homework by ten and be in bed by eleven. A perfect plan.  
On the other hand John was worried about his teacher, which then brought him to the fact that he still had detention. He had a feeling that it would be awkward during that detention. Sherlock just didn’t seem like himself and John had gotten so used to just hanging out with him.   
John just didn’t know what to do.   
X  
When the final bell rung John made his way towards Sherlock’s room. He paused outside the door, hand going to the doorknob. He bit his lip and raised his hand to knock. There was a soft come in. John opened the door and gave Sherlock a small smile. “Afternoon sir,” he said.   
“Hello Mr. Watson,” Sherlock said, not looking up from the papers he was working on. He had calmed down a bit from before. He had pushed down the weird feeling and pulled himself together.   
John licked his lips a bit. “Mr. Holmes, I have a question to ask you,” he said. He was given a small nod. John started pulling at his fingers a bit and looked around. “I was wondering if I could skip detention today. You see I have a date and well…”   
Sherlock had stopped writing and looked up at John. “A date is not a reason to miss your punishment Mr. Watson,” he said. “You know that.”   
“Yes I do sir but I already said yes,” John said. “I’ll do something for you next week. Please just this once let me go.”   
Sherlock clenched his jaw shut and he looked back down, a stone settling in his stomach. “Go,” he said, his voice flat.   
John smiled and nodded. “Thank you sir,” he said. “I promise you I will make it up to you.”   
“Get out of here,” Sherlock said. “You won’t have to make anything up.”   
John’s smile dropped a bit but he nodded. “Of course sir,” he said. He turned and left the room.   
Sherlock sighed and pushed a few things from his desk. He tugged at his hair and groaned. What was wrong with him? Why did he seem to hate the fact that John had a date? He dropped his head on the desk and rubbed his eyes.   
After a few moments Sherlock stood up. He needed to get the work done for the upcoming play. He was sure if he worked hard enough he would forget John and his date.   
His stupid date with the girl. Taking in another deep breath Sherlock calmed down. He marched to the auditorium and decided that would be it.   
Sherlock didn’t like the feeling John gave him when he thought of him. So John would be pushed out of his thoughts unless it was during school hours.   
Sherlock had a feeling that wouldn’t work though.


	5. Chapter 5

Sherlock arrived at the school a bit later than normal, it wasn’t a good night and it wasn’t a good morning. He stopped by the office to tell them that he was there before heading to his class. He wasn’t looking forward to it.   
There was a substitute there and Sherlock relieved her of her duties. He took his seat behind his desk as he got his things ready for the class. The students started talking once again and Sherlock clenched his hands into fists. “Quiet, all of you,” he yelled. “I don’t want to hear a single peep from you lot or I’ll give you all detention.”   
The class all shut their mouths and stared at Sherlock. He smiled and went back to working on getting his things in order. John watched him silently, trying to pinpoint his teacher’s problem. The teen gave up though after Sherlock started teaching the class.   
When the class ended John got up and went straight for the door. He didn’t want to stick around to get yelled at or make anything worse. After yesterday he was sure he ruined everything. John only wished he knew how.   
X  
The rest of the day went the same way; Sherlock made every one of his students stay silent with a threat of detention. With the stern look from the teacher no one let a single word slip all class.   
The final bell rang and Sherlock sighed in relief. It was the end of the week and he wouldn’t have to see any of his students over the weekend. He couldn’t ask for anything better at the moment. He was packing his things when there was a knock on the door. He raised an eyebrow. No one ever stayed after on Fridays. “Come in,” he called.   
When John stepped through the door he sighed and nearly dropped his head against the desk. John frowned when he heard the sigh. “I’m sorry Mr. Holmes,” he mumbled, not sure what he was sorry for to be honest. “If you don’t want to do our last detention together, I can just go home.”   
“I finished that work already,” Sherlock muttered. He glanced at his student, seeing the hurt in his eyes. “I’ll let you go. Surely you want to spend time with Sally? No Sarah.”   
John frowned and looked down at his feet. “It didn’t go so well,” he admitted. They went out and had a great time at dinner. John walked her home even. However when she went to kiss him he backed away from her.   
“Oh,” Sherlock mumbled. He felt a weight get lifted off his shoulders that he didn’t really know was there. He bit his lip. “Well then, you can clean up the room a bit and then I’ll drive you home. Sound good enough for you?”   
“Yes sir,” John said. He put his bag on a desk and rolled up his sleeves. As he started straightening out the desks he decided to speak up. “I’m sorry for skipping out on you yesterday, Mr. Holmes,” he mumbled.   
Sherlock leaned against his desk and shrugged his shoulders. “It’s fine; you’re a teenager who has loads of hormones in their bodies. A pretty girl asked you out and you said yes, nothing else mattered.”   
John let out a small laugh and nodded. “I hate when my body thinks it wants something but my mind doesn’t,” he said. He started picking small bits of thrash from the floor. “Mike was rather disappointed that things didn’t go well.”   
“He seemed very happy for you yesterday,” Sherlock said quietly. He turned back to his desk and began packing again.   
John moved beside him and leaned against the desk. “I’m done picking up,” he told him with a smile. “We can head out now.”   
Sherlock glanced around the room. It didn’t look much cleaner but he was sure John wanted to get out of there as much as he did. He let out a small laugh and nodded. “Okay, let’s get going. Surely your father would want you home.”  
“Not really, he won’t be home until tomorrow,” John said. “He won’t be missing me too much.”   
Sherlock nodded and grabbed his bag before leaving the room. He was silent as they made their way to the car. Unlocking the doors he glanced at John before getting in. Soon they were on the road again.   
John was tapping his fingers lightly on his knee as he watched the town passed by the window. “Are you okay now Mr. Holmes?” he asked after a while, looking over at him.   
Sherlock let the corner of his mouth turn up and he nodded. “Yes, I’m okay now,” he told him. He pulled up to John’s home and gave him real smile. “Alright, this is it Mr. Watson.”   
John’s face fell a bit as he looked out at the house. He chewed the inside of his lip before undoing his seatbelt. “Thank you, Mr. Holmes.”   
“What are you doing tonight?” Sherlock asked before he could get out of the car. “Are you going to hang out with those friends of yours?”   
John shook his head. “I don’t really hang around them much with them outside of school,” he said with a shrug. “I have a lot of things to do.”   
Sherlock nodded and bit his lip. He glanced to the house then back to John. He was going to get himself fired. “Would you like to do something with me?”  
John licked his lips and looked over at him. “Like what?” he asked quietly.   
Sherlock shrugged. “Anything, we’ll drive around until we can find something to do.”   
John laughed and nodded. “Sounds like a great plan Mr. Holmes,” he said, buckling back up. “Let’s go where the wind takes us.”   
“Say something like that again and I’ll kick you out,” Sherlock grinned as he drove away from the house.   
“Yes sir,” John said as he leaned back in the seat.   
X  
It was just getting dark when they found something that might be fun. Or well it was John’s idea really; Sherlock wouldn’t have ever done anything like it unless someone was forcing him to do it. That’s exactly what John was doing.   
John was stripping down to his boxers as Sherlock leaned against the hood of the car. “Come on Mr. Holmes, it will be fun,” he told him. He folded his clothes and set them next to his teacher. “It’s just a quick swim.”   
“It will be freezing,” Sherlock said, watching the boy shiver slightly already. “I can guess you already know this already though.”   
John grinned and turned around, running into the small lake they stopped at. He dove into the icy cold water. When he resurfaced he let out a small yell. “Oh god, that’s cold,” he said. He looked at Sherlock who was laughing his butt off. “Come join me.”   
“Oh yes, you turning blue is really making me want to join you,” Sherlock said. “No, I’ll let you get it out of your system.”   
“Please,” John said swimming closer. He stood up. “It may be bloody cold but it is still fun.”   
Sherlock watched him for a moment. The teen may have been shivering but he had a huge grin on his face. “Oh fine,” he muttered and started to undress. He folded his clothes neatly and set them next to John’s before running into the water.   
He turned to run back out but John caught him around the waist and pulled him in further. “You’re in now,” he told him. “You just have to go under.”   
“I don’t want to go under,” Sherlock said, fighting against his grip.   
“Then I’ll make you,” John laughed as he lifted him up. “Hold your breath.” He fell back with him and brought him under.   
Once Sherlock was back above the water he took in a deep breath. “Oh god,” he said, breathing heavily as his body shook. “I hate you.” He was laughing.   
John grinned and splashed him. “No you don’t,” he said, swimming on his back.   
Sherlock smirked and ducked under the water, swimming closer to John before lifting him out of the water and throwing him back.   
John let out a small yelp as he was lifted out of the water and then dropped back into it. He splashed Sherlock again and started going back to the shore.   
Sherlock grabbed his foot and yanked him back. “Not yet Mr. Watson,” he said. He dragged him under and started to run as fast as he could in water back to the warm shore.   
John laughed and tackled him into the water. He started to swim under water to get away from him. He felt Sherlock next to him and he was pushed to the side.   
Soon both of them were back at the car, shivering and wet. John had his arms wrapped tightly around his chest trying to preserve his warmth. “Who’s idea was that?” he asked, laughing quietly.   
“Yours,” Sherlock said. He looked at him. “I might have something in my car to warm you up.” He went around and popped the trunk. He grinned and pulled out a blanket. “We can use this to dry off.” He handed it to John. “I don’t want you dying on me.”   
John grinned and started to wipe the water from his body, shaking heavily. “I’m going to be soaked still but oh well,” he murmured as he handed the blanket over and pulled on his clothes. “Warm.”   
“What am I supposed to do with this? It’s soaked,” Sherlock said. He wiped down the best he could before getting dressed again. “Car?”   
John nodded and quickly went inside the car. “Start it, start it,” he said eagerly.   
Sherlock laughed and started the car, putting the heat on full blast. “We’ll be warm in no time.”   
John hummed softly and shut his eyes. “Thank you, Mr. Holmes,” he murmured.   
“For what, giving you hypothermia?” Sherlock asked.   
John shook his head. “For giving me a good night,” he said. “I had fun.”   
“The night is not over yet,” Sherlock told him. He gave him a smile before looking out at the sky.   
“May I ask you something?” John asked, looking over at him. He let a soft smile fall across his face as he saw the look on Sherlock’s face. He got a small hum for permission. “What was bothering you yesterday and this morning?”   
Sherlock glanced over at him. “I don’t know,” he said. He rubbed his eyes and sighed. “It was just…one of those days I guess.”   
John nodded slowly. “I see,” he murmured.   
“Why didn’t your date go well?” Sherlock decided to ask.   
John frowned and looked down into his lap. “I didn’t like her as much as I thought I did,” he said. “I mean, she’s nice, pretty, and smart but not someone I really want to date.”   
Sherlock nodded and gave his shoulder a small squeeze. “Come on, let’s go,” he said pulling back from the lake.   
X  
John fell asleep on the way home, exhausted from the week he had. He was shaken awake and he opened his eyes too look over at Sherlock. “What?” he asked rubbing his eyes.   
“This is your stop,” Sherlock whispered.   
John sighed and sat up. “Alright,” he said, stretching. He licked his lips and yawned. “Are you coming to the match tomorrow?”   
Sherlock had completely forgotten about the match. “Yeah, I’ll watch it,” he said. “Don’t you worry; you’ll have me rooting for you in the stands.”   
John grinned and pulled Sherlock into a hug. “Thank you, Mr. Holmes,” he said. He quickly unbuckled and jumped out of the car.   
Sherlock unrolled the window. “Get some rest and warm up,” he called after him. “Goodnight Mr. Watson.”   
“Night Mr. Holmes,” John called before running inside.   
Sherlock and drove away from the house. He was too attached. There was no turning back now.


	6. Chapter 6

Sherlock didn’t understand anything about the game of rugby and he wasn’t sure why he told John he was going to make it. He knew exactly why. John had that charming smile that made Sherlock give him anything you want. It was a rather big downfall for a teacher that was supposed to be so cold to his students.   
Sherlock drove to the school on a Saturday. A day he wasn’t even supposed to go near the school. All for a student that’s wormed his way under Sherlock’s skin, all in a good way though. He found a spot far away from the field, not wanting it to get destroyed by crowds that may or may not show up after the match.   
He made his way to the stands and found a seat towards the end. There was no need to sit right in the center of everything. He checked the time, happy that the match was almost ready to start. The players were soon out on the field and Sherlock grinned when he saw John.   
John ran out onto the field, feeling great about the game they were about to play. He scanned the stands before the match started, spotting Sherlock at the end. He grinned like an idiot, giving him a small wave.   
Sherlock laughed a bit when John waved towards him and waved back as well. He shook his head, sitting back against the fence at the top of the stands. The match started and although he was lost Sherlock still cheered whenever the crowd did.   
X  
The match was almost over, just a few minutes left and the opposite team was up by one point. Sherlock was really getting into it now. When John intercepted the ball from the other team he jumped up and cheered.   
John got the ball, feet hitting the ground as hard as they could as he ran towards the end goal. Evading tacklers was getting harder and he couldn’t see anyone to pass too. Someone dove in front of him and he jumped over him only to be caught by a tackler.   
The air left his lungs and he just got off the ball to a teammate before he was slammed into the ground. The other player got up and ran after his new victim, leaving John on the ground.   
Sherlock winced when he saw John get tackled. He watched the teen, waiting for him to get up but he didn’t move. His mouth went dry. John wasn’t moving.  
He quickly moved from his seat and ran down the stands. He hit the fence, growling as he couldn’t get closer to John. The match was stopped and the EMTs hurried to get John on a stretched and took him off the field.   
Sherlock followed their path until they disappeared inside the locker rooms. He ran around until he found the door and pushed it open. John was found easily, lying on the bed in the sports exam room.  
“How is he?” Sherlock asked as he came to his side.   
“He seems to have hit his head too hard,” one of the EMT’s said. “He should be fine, he just needs to rest and he’ll wake up.”  
Sherlock nodded. “You need to call his father,” he told him.   
“The coach already did that, he didn’t answer.”  
Sherlock shut his eyes and pulled up a chair to sit next to John. “I’ll stay with him then until he wakes up,” he told them. “Thank you.”   
They were left alone. Sherlock let out a deep breath he didn’t know he was holding and gently ran his fingers over John’s forehead.   
John let out a small groan and his eyes opened slowly. “Oh god,” he mumbled, rubbing his head. “I don’t want to feel that again.”   
Sherlock let out a relieved sigh, rolling his eyes at the same side. “I don’t think anyone would like to be hit by a man two times their size,” he said. “Other than bad how are you feeling? Feel like you can walk?”   
John sat up and held his head. “Yeah,” he said. “I might need a bit of help though.”   
Sherlock wound his arm around his waist and helped him to his feet. “We should get going before everyone tries to leave,” he said. “You did great by the way, before you were tackled.”   
John smiled, leaning into his side as his head spun. “Thanks,” he said. “Do you think there’s some pain meds in here?”   
Sherlock bit his lip and nodded. “I’ll look,” he said. He let go of John and began looking around. He grinned when he found it and got John a small cup of water as well. “Here you are.”   
John smiled gratefully and took the pills and water. “Alright, let’s leave now,” he mumbled throwing the cup away.   
Sherlock nodded and resumed his post at John’s side. He kept his grip light as they walked out of the locker room. “I’ll drive you home,” he told him.   
John groaned but nodded.   
“What? You don’t want to go home?” Sherlock asked.   
John shook his head. “I’m hungry and well, I don’t want to cook,” he mumbled.   
“I think I can do something about that,” Sherlock said. “How about we go out to eat for some Chinese?”   
John grinned. “Okay,” he said, “sounds great.”   
“Good,” Sherlock said.   
“I have only one more complaint,” John said.   
Sherlock sighed and looked at John. “What could it possibly be?”   
“Why did you park so far away?” John asked with a laugh. Sherlock rolled his eyes and pulled him the rest of the way to the car.   
X  
They drove to the restaurant and Sherlock helped John out. “I’m fine,” John assured him. “I can walk on my own now. I’m just a bit shaky.”   
“Fine, fine,” Sherlock said, holding up his hands. “I’m just worried. My favorite student was knocked out.”   
John grinned. “I’m your favorite student?” he asked.   
“No, I just bring mediocre students to dinner because I want to,” Sherlock said sarcastically.   
John grinned even more as they sat down at a table. “Well you’re my favorite teacher, Mr. Holmes,” he said.   
“Thank you Mr. Watson,” Sherlock grinned.   
A waiter came by and took their orders. John sat back and smiled at Sherlock. He couldn’t believe he was doing something with his teacher for yet another night. Not that he minded. He enjoyed spending time with Sherlock more than anything else at the moment.   
The teen cleared his throat and he looked down. “Thank you for taking me here,” he said. “I really don’t think I would have made it to the kitchen if I went home.”   
“Anytime,” Sherlock said. He paused. “Well, not really anytime. If we frequent here too much then people might get suspicious.”   
“Oh yes, of course,” John said. “Don’t want someone to think the wrong thing about us.”   
Sherlock laughed and nodded. “Yeah, I don’t think people would like if a teacher was hanging around with their students.”   
“Not just that, taking them out to dinner,” John laughed. A light blush crossed over his cheeks and he was thankful for the food as it came.   
X  
They ate mostly in silence. When Sherlock was done the bill was brought over and he lay down a bit of cash. “You ready to go home now?” he asked.   
John laughed quietly and nodded. “Yes Mr. Holmes,” he said, standing up. “Thank you for dinner.”   
“It was my pleasure,” Sherlock said. He led him back to the car. “You should sleep well tonight, after a shower of course.”   
“I do stink,” John murmured as he sniffed his shirt. “I promise I’ll take one before school on Monday.”   
Sherlock laughed as he started the car. “Of course,” he said. “I do hope you do that. You would smell worse.”   
John nodded. “Of course sir,” he said. “I’ll make sure to your liking. I’ll even get behind my ears.”   
Sherlock reached over and brought his ear forward. “You should, it looks like you’re growing fungus back there.”   
John swatted his hand away with a laugh. “I am not,” he said. “That’s just my snack for later.”   
Sherlock ruffled his hair and shook his head. “That’s disgusting,” he laughed. He frowned as John’s house came into view. They were closer than he thought. “Well, I guess I’ll see you Monday.”   
John looked out the window at his house and nodded. “Yeah, I’ll be squeaky clean,” he said as he unbuckled his seat belt. He didn’t move from his seat though as he looked at his house.   
Sherlock squeezed his shoulder gently. “You better be,” he said. He gave him a smile and nodded toward the house. “You better get going. You’re tired and need to relax some.”   
John nodded and got out of the car. “Yes sir,” he said. Before he shut the door he sighed. ‘Thank you again for dinner, and tonight. I had fun.”   
“You’re welcome,” Sherlock told him. “Next game I don’t want to run after you into the locker rooms.”   
John grinned. “I’ll try to be more careful,” he said. He looked down at his feet before nodding. “Goodbye,” he mumbled, shutting the door. He quickly ran inside.   
Sherlock smiled as he watched him. He dropped his head to his chest for a moment, thinking about what was going on. He shook himself from his thoughts and drove away.


	7. Chapter 7

The next Wednesday John moved into the classroom, going to Sherlock’s desk. The past week had been great. John had stayed after to talk with Sherlock and rode home with him every day. He was spending more time with his teacher than his friends.   
He knocked his knuckles on the dark wood of the desk. He laughed when Sherlock nearly jumped right out of his chair. ”You know, for someone who is so observant you’re easy to scare,” he giggled.   
“You didn’t do the dishes last night and you woke up early to do them,” Sherlock said quickly.   
“How did you know that?” John asked with a small laugh.   
“You look tired,” Sherlock smirked as he took off his glasses. John opened his mouth and quickly shut it as Sherlock raised a finger. “You look tired but you’re early so you didn’t stay up late last night to finish them, you woke up early.”   
John shook his head. “How did you know it was dishes?” he asked, leaning forward.   
Sherlock smiled, standing up to meet his gaze. “You really want to know?” he asked quietly. John nodded, licking his lips. The teacher grinned and leaned just a bit closer for dramatic effect. “You told me,” he whispered.   
The slightly muddled look on John’s face made him chuckle slightly. ”You said yesterday that you had dishes to do, I remember because you complained about them most of the way home. You also mentioned that’s why you leave them for last.”   
John swallowed hard; the way Sherlock looked right now, smiling at him like he knew every answer in the world. “Brilliant,” he whispered. He licked his lips and glanced down to Sherlock’s lips. They were so close. All he had to do was lean forward and he would taste them, feel them. They looked soft.   
The thoughts that were running through his head made his cheeks go red. He quickly pulled away from his teacher’s personal space and looked to the door. “Hey Mike,” he said, quickly getting his wits back to him.   
He pushed away from the desk, not looking back at Sherlock. “Did you catch the match that was on last night? My da was watching some crap last night.”   
Sherlock sighed and slowly sat back down. He scrubbed his eyes and took in a deep breath. What was he thinking? John was a student. He couldn’t be thinking about kissing the boy like that. He put his glasses back on and went back to grading until the bell rang.   
X  
For the rest of the day John was trying to push away the thoughts of Sherlock. It was just so bloody hard. He wanted to just pull the man close and kiss him like he’s never been kissed before.   
John had to stop thinking like that too. He could just blame it on teenage hormones. That sounded like a great thing to blame wanting to kiss his teacher on. He wanted to do so much more though.   
John shook the thoughts from his head as he found himself in front of Sherlock’s door at the end of the day. He took in a deep breath and knocked on the door. He heard the come in and pushed open the door. “Hello Mr. Holmes,” he said.   
“Hello Mr. Watson,” Sherlock smiled. He noticed John’s nervousness but didn’t say anything about it. “Just have a seat and we’ll be out of here before you know it. I don’t have much more today and we can leave early.”   
John chewed on his bottom lip, peeling off the skin with his teeth. “Actually, I should probably walk home,” he said. “It’s not that far.”   
“I can take you right now if you want,” Sherlock said. “I really don’t mind. Plus, if you walk home now you will get home at the same time as if I would drive you home at the normal time. It’s a long walk.”   
John shook his head quickly. “No, you have work to do,” he said. “I need to run some more anyway.”  
Sherlock sighed and nodded. “Of course, Mr. Watson,” he said. “Have a nice night.”  
John nodded, turning on his heels to hide the frown forming on his face. “Have a nice night sir,” he said before leaving.   
X  
When Sherlock was done with his work he checked the time. It was earlier than usual, like he told John he would. He grabbed his jacket and pulled it on before grabbing his bag. Glancing out the window he saw the rain. He groaned and ran his fingers through his hair.   
He made his way out to his car, hoping John made it home before it started raining. He climbed into his car and started it. He decided he would just go the long way home to see if John made it there. He couldn’t keep it out of his mind.   
When he was half way to John’s house he spotted the blond sitting on a bench, looking defeated. Sherlock pulled up and despite better judgment he climbed out of the car and walked over to him.   
Without a word he sat down and looked over at his student. “You’re going to get sick,” he told him quietly.   
John looked up at him, shaking from the cold. “What are y-you doing here?” he asked, clenching his hands into fists.   
“The better question is what are you doing here?” Sherlock hummed. “What’s wrong?”  
“Nothing,” John said, keeping his head down.   
Sherlock sighed and bumped his shoulder. “You can talk to me,” he told him. “You know that.”   
John shook his head. He couldn’t tell him. He had to just forget about it. Sherlock would be able to read him and then the teacher would find him disgusting. “I’m just trying to clear my head,” he mumbled, his teeth chattering.   
“Clearing it of what?” Sherlock asked.   
“I don’t want to tell you,” John said, finally looking up at him. “Now, why are you here?”   
“I was worried about you,” Sherlock said. “When I left I saw it raining and knew you would be out and about in it.”  
John shook his head. “Well, you can leave,” he said. He wiped his nose and looked down the street. “I’m going to be leaving soon anyway.”  
“Let me drive you the rest of the way,” Sherlock said. “Please, I can’t leave you like this. If you don’t want me to drive you ever again I won’t.”   
John licked his lips and looked to Sherlock. “Fine,” he said. “If you want to do that Mr. Holmes, I’ll accept the ride, but this has to be the last one.”   
Sherlock nodded and stood up. “Come on then,” he said. He grabbed his arm and helped him up. “Thank you for letting me do this.”   
John nodded and pulled his arm away as he got up. He went to the car and slipped inside easily. He kept his head down and waited for his teacher to come in.   
Sherlock stared after John after he pulled his arm away. John must have known what he wanted to do, what he had been thinking about for so long. He must have been mortified. He slowly moved to the car and got in. He pulled off the side and started towards John’s house.   
They were silent on the way there; they couldn’t even hear the other breathing. Sherlock wished he could say something. Maybe a sorry would do but then he would have to admit what he was thinking to John.   
He pulled up to the house and parked the car. “Mr. Watson,” he said, unsure as to what he was going to say. John looked to him and frowned slightly. Sherlock let out a deep breath and looked to him. “I was having fun hanging out with you, I don’t say that often, especially about a student.”   
John bit his lip and nodded. “I did too, Mr. Holmes,” he said. He tugged on his fingers. “Thank you for the rides home.”  
Sherlock nodded and looked to John’s house. “I’ll see you in class tomorrow,” he said. “If you’re not sick that is.”   
Without a word John opened the door and left the car. His heart was pounding and he felt like he might throw up. What was wrong with him?   
Sherlock watched him go in with a frown. He started the car again and drove away. He had to just forget about this. It wouldn’t be any good for him to keep thinking like this about his student.   
X  
Sherlock didn’t see John until Friday. The teen was out on Thursday, Sherlock had to believe he was sick. When Friday rolled around he didn’t see John in class.   
`He was starting to worry again but tried to push it out of his mind. He tried to listen to the teens’ conversations but John’s name never came up. He found it odd to think that none of his friend’s knew about his whereabouts.   
When the bell rang he dismissed the class. He stood up, deciding to go to the teacher room for some coffee. He was going to need it.   
He got a cup of coffee and waited for the halls to empty before trying to get back to his room. He didn’t want to end up wearing his drink. He started walking back to his classroom when a boy ran passed him.   
Odd, he thought, that was the teen that beat John up. He shook his head and started walking again to his room. It wasn’t long after when he saw John limping down the hall looking worse than that one morning.   
“Oh my god,” Sherlock said, dropping his coffee and hurrying over to him. He had a black eye, split lip, the way he was limping Sherlock was sure his leg was hurting him, and John was guarding his ribs. “What happened?”   
“I didn’t fight back, I promise,” John said, feeling like he was going to throw up. He looked up at Sherlock with tears in his eyes. “I just let him beat me up. I don’t want to get in trouble.”   
Sherlock nodded. “Come on, let me take you to the nurse,” he whispered. He wrapped an arm around his shoulders gently. “I’ll talk with the principle about this. I promise.”   
John nodded; he was in no shape to argue. Last time he was able to sleep some in the alley but he was in too much pain now.   
Sherlock helped him to the nurse’s office, sure that the nurse would be able to take care of him. He laid him down on the bed and ran his fingers over his forehead. “She’ll take care of you,” he whispered before the nurse came in.   
John looked up at him. “Thank you,” he whispered back. He nodded again and reached for his hand. He squeezed it gently and shut his eyes.   
“What happened?” the nurse asked as she came in.   
Sherlock moved away from him and looked to the nurse. “He was beaten,” he told him. “He has three bruised ribs, something wrong with his leg, probably bruised as well maybe sprained, a black eye, and a cut lip.”   
She nodded. “I’ll try what I can, I’ll call your father John,” she said. “You’re getting hurt too much around here.”   
Sherlock watched them for a moment before leaving. He was going to have a chat with his boss.


	8. Chapter 8

Sherlock stormed off to the principal’s office and slammed his hands on the dark wood. “He can barely stand,” he growled. “John Watson can barely stand because you let that beast back into school. You need to do something more than just suspend someone. John didn’t even want to fight back because he didn’t want to get in trouble. You need to get a better system.” He was fuming and he was sure his boss could tell that someone was going to pay for the mess John was in.   
Mr. Jamison sighed, running his fingers through his graying hair. “Sherlock, there’s nothing I can do now,” he said. “I’ll have the police come in for this matter, have them talk with both of the boys and I can possibly kick the other boy out of school. Right now though I can’t do anything about the system. I will bring it up in my next meeting.”   
Sherlock shook his head and shoved the cup holding all his pens off his desk. “Useless,” he muttered and left the office.   
Mr. Jamison shook his head and got up to pick his pens. “You don’t need to throw a fit,” he yelled after Sherlock.   
Sherlock ignored him as went back to the nurse’s office and found John laying back with his eyes shut. He smiled softly and glanced around for the nurse before leaning against the table and gently traced a bruise on John’s face.   
John opened his eyes as he hissed and looked over at Sherlock. “That hurt Mr. Holmes,” he whispered, smiling a bit.   
The teacher took back his hand, dropping it to his side. He didn’t know what he was doing. He didn’t want to push the boy away anymore. “Is your father coming to get you?” he questioned, scanning the injuries that he could see.   
John shook his head. “Never picked up,” he mumbled. “The nurse said I could rest here for the rest of the day though.”   
“That’s good,” Sherlock sighed softly. “Would you like me to take you home?”   
John shut his eyes and thought for a moment. Sherlock could see the inner turmoil working and knew that if he said yes it would be a reluctant yes. “Please,” John whispered. He couldn’t walk home in his condition even if he tried.   
“Okay, I’ll drive you home,” Sherlock said as quietly as John did. He backed away from the teen when the nurse came back into the room. “I should be getting back to my classes now. I’ll check on you in a bit. Can’t have my best student getting worse while I’m away.” He gave a nod to the two before leaving.   
X  
At the end of the day Sherlock packed up his things, wondering how he was going to get through the ride to John’s place without making things worse between them. That’s all he was worried about. He didn’t want John to hate him for his own problems. There was something bad about that.   
With a deep breath he left his room before heading to the nurse’s office. He knocked on the door and nodded to the nurse, smiling a bit when he saw that John was asleep.   
“He said something about you taking him home,” the nurse hummed, tapping her pen against a note pad.   
Sherlock licked his lips, swallowing a small lump in his throat. “Yes, I figured he couldn’t get home on his own and his father couldn’t make it, I might as well help out the best I can.”   
“Perfectly understandable,” she smiled. “Well, you can wake him up and take him if you need to.”   
Sherlock nodded, moving silently over to John. He gently touched his shoulder. “John, wake up,” he said quietly. “Come on, time to get you home.”   
John mumbled something and shook his head. Sherlock chuckled, rolling his eyes. “Up you get Mr. Watson, don’t want to be late for class.”   
John opened his quickly before everything came into focus and he glared at his teacher. “You’re an evil man,” he said as he slowly sat up. “Are we leaving?”   
Sherlock nodded and picked up his jacket. “If you hurry you won’t have to run after my car,” he said, handing it to the teen before going to the door.   
John smiled a bit, climbing down from the bed and hurrying after the older man. “You wouldn’t do that,” he muttered, grinning at his side.   
“You’re right, but it got you moving,” Sherlock hummed as he led him to his car. He opened the door and waited for him to climb in and get settled before moving to his own seat. “You seem to be much better than earlier. Sore?”   
John nodded. “Yeah, very sore,” he sighed, dropping his back against the seat. “It was much worse this morning. I could barely think straight.”   
Sherlock nodded, driving out of the parking lot. He was silent most of the time, focusing on the road. After what seemed like hours Sherlock could feel John staring at him. “Do you need something Mr. Watson?”   
“No,” John said rather quickly. “I was just thinking. Sorry.”   
“What’s on your mind?” Sherlock asked, glancing at the teen for a brief moment.   
John quickly shook his head. “Nothing you want to know about,” he muttered. “Trust me.”   
Sherlock raised an eyebrow. That raised his curiosity more than it should have. “I’m sure if it’s bothering you I would want to know.”   
“It’s….” John trailed off when he saw house. The car came to a stop and he quickly stepped out. “I have to go. Thanks for the ride Mr. Holmes. I’ll see you Monday.”   
Sherlock sighed softly, swallowing down his curiosity. “Yes, see you Monday,” he hummed. When the door was shut he let out a low groan and hit his head against the steering wheel.   
After he collected himself he drove away from the home, thoughts of the teen and what he could be thinking swimming through his head. He wouldn’t sleep well at all.   
X  
When Monday finally came Sherlock felt like crap but he knew he would have to push through the day. He was sitting at his desk, watching as the students filed in.  
The bell rang and Sherlock smirked as he stood up. “Welcome back, I hope you guys are ready for the fun today,” he hummed. “We will be having a test on what we have learned throughout the year. Well, you will be taking this test, I’ll be watching you squirm in your seats. Most of you at least.” He sent a smile towards John. “Here’s the best part though. Whoever gets the highest grade will get whatever they want.”   
The students stared at him before they started talking amongst themselves. Sherlock could see a few students planning what they would get from the teacher but he knew they wouldn’t come close. “Okay, everything off the desks, just a pencil.” He started passing out the test, counting how many students would fail the test as he passed.   
Once everyone had the test he went to his desk, slowly sitting down. “Begin,” he said in a low voice, grinning at the students.   
John passed in the test first. The teen was rather confident that he got a great grade. He had listened to the teacher and studied everything that he was supposed to. Why wouldn’t he get a good grade?   
“Are you sure you want to pass this in Mr. Watson?” Sherlock asked, glancing up to him. With the firm nod he received he raised an eyebrow. “Good. I love the confidence. You may have a seat.” He watched John move back to his seat, noticing that he wasn’t limping at all and that most of the bruises were already fading. He smiled a bit before going about grading the student’s paper.   
X  
When the bell rang Sherlock had all the papers graded already. He stood up, holding his hand up to stop the students from leaving. “I’m rather disappointed in most of you. I was expecting more people to pass. Honestly. You will know if you have to retake the test if I hand you your paper on the way out. I want you to review it and study. You’ll be taking the test again tomorrow.   
John Watson, you scored a one hundred. Higher than I expected I must say. I’m proud of you. Please remain after class so we can talk about your reward.”   
John grinned and cheered quietly before packing his bag away and moving to the front desk. He watched the other students file out, a few giving him glares as they left.   
Sherlock smiled as he watched John smiling proudly. “So, Mr. Watson, what do you want for your reward?” he asked.   
John thought for a moment, licking his lips. “Do you remember that restaurant you took me after my match?” he asked.   
“The Chinese one? Of course I do,” Sherlock said. “Why?”   
“Do you think I can get another meal from there?” John asked, cocking his head to the side.   
The older man laughed quietly and nodded. “Yeah, I think I can do that for you,” he said. “Meet me here after classes end and we can go together.”   
John smiled, happy that he understood that’s what he wanted. “I’ll see you later,” he said. He hesitated, watching Sherlock for a second longer before leaving.   
Sherlock watched him go and let out a small sigh of relief. John didn’t hate him as much as he thought he did.   
X  
John was quick in getting to his room after the last bell rang. Sherlock wasn’t even done packing up when the teen came into the room. “Hello Mr. Watson,” he said, a small smirk on his lips. “I’ll be with you in just a moment. I have to get a few more things together.”   
“No rush,” John smiled, running his fingers through his hair. “I have all night.”   
Sherlock raised an eyebrow before shaking his head. He stood up once he was done and grabbed his jacket. “Let’s go,” he hummed before leading him out of the room.   
John followed close behind him as they made their way to the car. “My birthday is this Friday,” he told him.   
“Oh, is it?” Sherlock asked as he slipped into the car. He buckled up and waited for John to get ready. “That’s good.”   
John nodded. “Yeah, I’ll be eighteen, just in time for school to end really,” he laughed.   
“Not quite, you’ll have a week left,” Sherlock pointed out as he drove to the restaurant. “One long week.”   
John shrugged. “I don’t mind. School isn’t that bad really.”  
Sherlock nodded, tapping against the wheel. “I would have to disagree with you on that one.”   
John rolled his eyes. “You seemed to be enjoying yourself today,” he hummed. “Did you see the looks I got when you announced I got the best grade?”   
Sherlock nodded once again. “Yes, they must not like when the best student in the class gets the best grade. Bunch of idiots if you ask me.”   
“Mr. Holmes,” John laughed, giving his teacher a look. “God, you’re horrible. First you spend too much time with your favorite student, now you’re insulting the others. You’re not the type of teacher to follow the rules are you?”   
“You’re the one that likes spending time with me,” Sherlock reminded him. He pulled up to the restaurant, shutting off the car and climbing out. “Not that I mind really.”   
John climbed out of the quickly and led him into the restaurant. He moved to the table that they sat at last time and settled into his seat. “I don’t either,” he said. “I enjoy our time together.”   
Sherlock rolled his eyes, sitting across from him. He shouldn’t have let this happen. He shouldn’t enjoy their time together so much. “I do too,” he hummed softly.   
X  
Their dinner was quiet, John talked mostly about his upcoming rugby match, trying to convince Sherlock to go. Sherlock knew he couldn’t say no to the teen but he knew he could have fun with him.   
When they both were done they made their way to the car and sat inside it for a moment before Sherlock turned on the car. “I really like that restaurant,” Sherlock smiled, turning the key.   
“I do too,” John laughed, rubbing his stomach. “I could have ate another serving of those noodles. She’s really good at selling them.”   
Sherlock let out a small giggle and nodded. “Yes, she was great at up selling the noodles.” He started driving towards John’s house. “We must do it again sometime before school ends.”   
John hummed in agreement. “Are we going to be learning much in the next two weeks?” he asked.   
Sherlock waved his hand. “Just things that are supposed to be fun,” he shrugged. “Nothing important. Sadly it will be the only thing you guys remember in ten years.”   
John shook his head. “I’m sure they’ll remember a lot more than they do now,” he said. “Have faith in your students.”   
“I tried, that all went down the drain years ago though,” Sherlock smirked. “You’re the first student I had faith since I’ve started.”   
John grinned. “I’m honored then,” he hummed. The smile fell from his face when his house came into view. “Well this is it I guess. Dinner was great, I had fun.”   
Sherlock nodded, trying not to look disappointed. “Yes, great fun. We’ll do it again sometime. I promise.”   
John nodded and slowly unbuckled. He wished he didn’t have to get out of the car. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said quietly.   
“Tomorrow,” Sherlock repeated, watching him with a small smile. “Get some sleep. I know you probably have chores to do, but you need your sleep.”   
John nodded again, opening his door and stepping out. “Have a good night, Mr. Holmes,” he said.   
“You too Mr. Watson,” Sherlock said. The door was shut seconds later and the man couldn’t take his eyes off the student as he walked into his house. He sighed softly, trying to collect himself once again. He hated watching that man walk away. After a few moments of just watching the house he pulled himself together and drove away.


	9. Chapter 9

Sherlock brought himself to school the next few days. Not wanting to really see John, afraid he was going to develop more feelings for him but there was nothing he can do. He couldn’t call out just because he didn’t want to see a student. They had only a few weeks left and he could handle it.   
Or he thought he could handle it. It was so hard seeing John. His friends able to relax around him, girls flirting with him. He wanted it to stop. What could he do though? He was just the teacher. He couldn’t tell them all that John was his and no one else could have him.   
Thinking like that would end him in jail.   
Though after class on one Thursday John came up to him, smiling over at him. Sherlock glanced up at him, raising an eyebrow. “Yes, Mr. Watson?” he asked, sitting back and crossing his arms.   
“My birthday is tomorrow,” John told him, rocking on his heels.   
“Oh is it?” Sherlock asked, offering a smile. John was almost eighteen. That was good. Great even. He was happy for the boy.   
John nodded, looking down and kicking his shoe against the floor. “Yeah, I was wondering if you would like to go to that Chinese place again,” he said softly. He looked up at him, giving him a nervous smile.   
“I’m sure your friends would not enjoy you spending your eighteenth birthday with me,” Sherlock said, shaking his head. He was doing his best to keep himself in check. He didn’t want to be too excited that John wanted to spend another night out with him.   
“My friends don’t have anything planned, I don’t even think they know it’s my birthday,” John murmured, looking down, his shoulders dropped. “If you don’t want to that’s fine.”   
Sherlock raised an eyebrow and shook his head. “No, no, I’ll take you out for your birthday,” he said. “I’ll make sure you have a great time too. Your friends will wish they came with us.”   
John looked up at him, his smile grinning up at him. “Really?” he asked. “Oh thank you. Thank you so much. We can go after school tomorrow right?”   
Sherlock smiled, happy he could make John smile like that. It was a good feeling. “Yes we can,” he said. “We can go out to eat, we can do whatever you want really.”   
The teen nodded and shifted his bag on his shoulder. “Thank you, Mr. Holmes,” he said softly. “I’ll um….see you later.” He felt giddy and he wasn’t sure if he should be or not. It was just like any other time they went out. Nothing new. He gave a small wave to Sherlock before hurrying out of the room.   
Sherlock watched him, letting out a quiet laugh. He was quite surprised he was asked to go to dinner again. He was excited though.   
X  
The next day John sauntered into class, smiling from ear to ear. Mike stopped him before he got to his seat. “What’s got you so happy, mate?” he asked. “Got laid last night?”   
John laughed at that, shaking his head. “No,” he said, rolling his eyes. “It’s my birthday idiot. Thanks for remembering.”   
Sherlock glanced up, laughing himself as John laughed. Teenagers only thought about sex or money.   
Mike’s eyes went wide. “Oh god, I’m so sorry. Happy birthday. Do you want to do something?”   
Sherlock’s heart sunk a bit. John was going to say yes. He was going to tell him their plans were cancelled. John shook his head though. “I got plans already,” he told him. “An old friend is taking me out to dinner. Maybe after the match tomorrow.”  
Mike sighed and shook his head. “Of course,” he said. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to forget. You know how it is.”   
John smiled, glancing towards Sherlock. “Yeah, it’s alright. Don’t worry about it.”   
Sherlock gave John a small smile before he cleared his throat and stood up from his desk. “Alright, books away. We’ll be making things go boom today.”   
John grinned, putting his book away and laughing when the class let out a confused murmur. This was going to be a fun class.   
X  
At the end of the day John made his way back to Sherlock’s classroom, trying not to seem like he’s too excited. He didn’t want to make Sherlock think he just a giddy kid. But he was. He was so excited. This was going to be the best birthday in a while. He could feel it.   
When he opened the door he stopped short, surprised to see another student in the room. He stopped short, staying where he was as he watched the other student. He didn’t know who he was. Sherlock glanced to John, letting a small smile pass over his face. “Come in, Mr. Watson, I’ll be with you in just a moment.”   
John nodded, moving to take a seat. He watched the two interact before the other teen left. John dropped his head back and let out a groan. “Finally, we can go,” he said, pushing himself up from the desk. “I’m starving.”  
“You’re always starving,” Sherlock said with a small laugh. He grabbed his bag and put his things away. “School’s almost over you know. I don’t know what you’re going to do when you can’t spend all this time with me.”   
John rolled his eyes, letting Sherlock lead the way out. “I’m joining the army. I won’t have time to worry about what I would be doing without you,” he told him.   
Sherlock frowned a bit but shook his head. “Happy birthday by the way,” he smiled. “I didn’t get a chance to say it earlier. I should have said it in front of Mike. It would have been funny.”   
John rolled his eyes, nudging him. “It would not have been funny,” he laughed. He paused. “Maybe it would have been.”   
Sherlock smirked, leading him to his car. He unlocked the doors and put his bag in the back before getting in himself. He waited for John to buckle up before he started towards the restaurant. “Your dad didn’t want to spend the night with you?” he asked after a while.   
John laughed dryly and shook his head. “I don’t care if he did,” he muttered, looking out the window.   
Sherlock let out a small sigh, knowing that John had a rough relationship with his father. He didn’t know what caused their problems and he didn’t want to ruin the night by bringing it up. “Alright,” he smiled. “I’m happy you chose me to be your birthday companion.”   
John smiled, looking over at him. “Thanks for agreeing to spend another night with your student,” he hummed softly.   
Sherlock shrugged his shoulders and glanced at him. “I have no problem with it.”   
They remained silent for the rest of the ride. When they pulled up to the restaurant John decided to speak. “Should we get more of those noodles then?” he asked, glancing at his teacher.   
Sherlock laughed as he climbed out of the car. “We can get whatever you want John,” he told him. “Anything, no matter the price. Though it is relatively cheap here so it won’t be a problem.”   
John grinned and headed inside. He found the table they usually sat at and pulled out Sherlock’s chair. “After you, sir,” he said with a grin.   
Sherlock rolled his eyes, sitting down in the seat. “I should be pulling out your chair, you’re the birthday boy,” he laughed.   
“I’m not a boy,” John said, sticking his tongue out. “I’m a man.”   
Sherlock couldn’t help but to agree with that but he didn’t voice his thoughts. “Well, let’s get our food,” he said, motioning the waiter over and ordering the noodles and anything else that John wanted.   
John smiled at his teacher as he ordered, unable to take his eyes off the man. He licked his lips, smiling softly. Though when he turned back John turned to look away. He didn’t want to get caught staring.   
Sherlock smiled over at him, shaking his head. He caught the other staring but said nothing. He wasn’t going to make this night awkward.   
X  
After a few hours of sitting around the restaurant and eating a few things here and there John decided it was time for a change of venue. He left the place with Sherlock by his side. He slipped into his seat and waited for Sherlock to get it. “Where are we going then, Mr. Watson?” he asked.   
John rolled his eyes. “We’ve been friends for a while. Shouldn’t we be on a first name basis by now?” he asked.   
Sherlock raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Yes, I believe we can be on a first name basis by now,” he said with a small nod.   
John smiled. “So, Sherlock, I think we can get some ice cream, yes?” he asked, feeling happier now that he was using the man’s first name. It felt nice. Like it was meant to be.   
“Ice cream it is,” Sherlock smiled and started to drive towards the ice cream shop.   
Once they were there John hurried inside, ordering the biggest cone he could get. Sherlock laughed as he watched the cone being handed over to John. “You will never finish that,” he told him, ordering his own cone.   
“I will,” John said, licking the cone. He leaned against the counter, watching him with a smirk. “You know my stomach is almost endless.”   
Sherlock rolled his eyes and thanked the girl behind the counter for the cone before looking at John. “Where are we going to sit?” he questioned the younger man.   
John thought for a moment before pushing away from the counter and leaving the shop. Sherlock raised an eyebrow but followed anyway.   
John went to the car and sat against the edge of the car. “Right here,” he told him, patting the spot next to him.   
Sherlock laughed and went to sit next to him, sliding further up on the car so he was leaning back against the windshield. “Sounds good,” he said with a small smile.   
John pushed himself up as well, sitting next to him. He closed his eyes and started licking his ice cream again.   
They were quiet while they finished their ice cream. Sherlock glancing over at John quietly as he ate his ice cream, smiling a bit. The older man finished before his student, it was only a given. John’s was much larger than his. He had time to look him over, enjoying the way he looked in the nights of the lights. He was so handsome. Sherlock knew he should stop the thoughts but he couldn’t. He wanted to reach out and kiss him.   
When John finished though he looked over at Sherlock with a smile. “What?” he asked, noticing him watching him. “Do I have something on my face?”   
“Yeah, you do,” Sherlock whispered, reaching over and wiping some ice cream from his cheek. He smiled, bring his finger to his lips and licking it gently. “All better.”   
John swallowed hard, watching him as he licked his finger. He scooted a bit closer, placing his hand between them. “Thanks for giving me such a nice night,” he said softly.   
Sherlock shook his head, slowly sliding his hand over top of John’s unable to stop himself. He was enjoying the night so much, he didn’t want it to stop. “Thanks for letting me give you such a great night,” he smiled.   
John moved his hand a bit and linked their fingers together. “Imagine if anyone we knew showed up,” he murmured. “They would certainly talk.”   
Sherlock licked his lips and glanced down at their hands before looking at his face again. “That’s all they do,” he whispered, leaning in halfway, glancing at John’s lips then to his eyes.   
John let out a small chuckle, heart thumping in his chest. When he saw Sherlock’s eyes dart down he couldn’t stop himself. He leaned forward and kissed him, keeping it simple and chaste. He squeezed his hand, his eyes closing.   
He felt like fireworks were going off in his head. This was amazing. The first kiss with the man he had been thinking about for so long.   
Sherlock’s mind nearly shut down as he was kissed. After a moment his mind rebooted and he kissed back, moving his other hand to the back of John’s neck, keeping him there. He knew he should stop but he couldn’t.   
John’s lips were rough, just how they looked. His hair was soft at the back of his neck and Sherlock let his fingers push through them.   
John slowly pulled away, opening his eyes with a smile on his face. “Wow,” he whispered, looking over at him. “That was….wow.”   
Sherlock let out a small laugh, letting his hand fall to his side. “Yes it was,” he said quietly. “Very wow.” He bit his lip, wondering if he could kiss him again. Though John beat him to it.   
They were kissing again and Sherlock couldn’t be happier. Though he cut this one short, putting a hand on John’s chest “Let’s go somewhere more private,” he told him “My place? Unless you want to go home.”   
John shook his head. “Why go home? Then my birthday would be over.”   
Sherlock smiled and slipped from the hood. “Come on then,” he said, slipping into his car. John got in soon after him, a grin splitting his face. “So, good night so far?”   
John nodded. “The best,” he laughed softly. He reached over and took Sherlock’s hand as they started driving. “Thank you.”   
Sherlock smiled, squeezing his hand. “No problem,” he said as they drove.   
X  
They made it to Sherlock’s in no time, Sherlock wouldn’t admit that he was speeding at all. Though John knew they were going faster than normal and he couldn’t blame the man. He was sure they were both waiting for a time like this.   
When they got to the flat Sherlock unlocked the door and let John in first. The teen made his way up the stairs, smiling softly. “Make yourself at home,” Sherlock told him as he placed his things by the door.   
John sat down on the sofa and stretched his legs out. “So, what do you want to do now?” he asked, looking over at Sherlock.   
Sherlock smirked and sat down next to him. “I have at least one thing in mind,” he said, wrapping his arm around his shoulders and kissed him again.   
John smiled, wrapping his arms around his waist and pulling him closer. He wasn’t going to argue with Sherlock that this was one of the best things they could be doing. It felt too nice to not be doing it really.   
They kissed until they had no breath left and Sherlock was the one to break it again. He pressed their foreheads together, smiling like an idiot. “Oh my god,” he said softly. “I can’t believe this is happening. You have no idea how long I’ve wanted this.”   
John smiled, cupping his cheek with a grin of his own. “I think I do,” he said with a grin. He kissed him again, just a quick one. “I’ve wanted it for a while. I’ve thought about it so much.”   
Sherlock smiled, kissing him again, pressing him back against the sofa. John grinned, running his hands under his shirt and feeling his warm soft skin.   
John pulled away after a few moments, smiling up at him. “Do you think I can stay over?” he asked quietly. He didn’t want to go home after tonight.   
Sherlock licked his lips and nodded. “Yeah, you can stay over,” he said, pressing a kiss to his forehead. “Of course you can. I can’t kick you out.” He pressed a kiss to his lips.   
John grinned, kissing him back. He pulled him closer, letting out a small sigh. He didn’t stop it this time, letting Sherlock do as he pleased.   
The older man kissed him deeply, sliding his hand under his shirt, feeling the muscles working underneath his hand as John moved with his touch. He wanted to never stop touching the man’s body.   
X  
John’s phone began buzzing and it caused John to pull away with groan. He looked at the message he got, his father, and groaned again. He tossed his phone to the side. There was no way he was going home. Sherlock sat up, watching John as he tossed his phone away. “Dad?” he asked.   
“Yeah,” John sighed, rubbing Sherlock’s side. “I’m not going home though. He can’t control me.” He sat up and kissed his cheek. “It’s getting late. Should we go to bed?”   
Sherlock looked at him. “Tired?”   
John shook his head. “Not really,” he shrugged. “I could stay up a bit more.”   
Sherlock nodded and stood up. “Get changed for bed, we can pop in a movie. Relax some,” he said, pecking his lips.   
John smiled. “That sounds really boring, but fitting,” he laughed quietly. He stood up as well, biting his lip. “I don’t have clothes.”   
Sherlock closed his eyes. How could he forget that? “You can borrow some of my pants,” he told him and brought him to the bedroom. He found bottoms for him and handed them over. “Change into these.”   
John nodded and took them to the bathroom, changing into the bottoms and taking off his shirt. He folded his clothes and put them under his arm. He left the bathroom and smiled at Sherlock who was one the couch. He set his clothes by the door and went to join him, laying with his back against his chest.   
Sherlock wrapped his arm around his waist and started to flip through the channels looking for a movie. When he found one he tossed the remote off to the side and rested his head against the arm of the sofa. “Happy birthday,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to John’s cheek.   
John smiled and looked up at him. “Thank you for making it so happy,” he murmured, placing a hand over his. He linked their fingers and looked back to the television.   
It didn’t take long for John to fall asleep, snoring quietly. Sherlock glanced down at him when he heard the noises and smiled. He never thought he would get to see the young man so peaceful. He settled his head back down and fell asleep soon after.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally John is done with school. Though things are not going to be that great for long.

Gravitate:

John was graduating. He never thought the day would come where he could finally move out and start his life new. But it was coming, the next day he would walk with his classmates, his friends, and then he would be set free to live as he pleased.

This included spending time with the man that seemed to steal his heart. It was going to be easier for them. The last few weeks at school were rough, they barely spoke and when they did they made sure it was school friendly. 

After school though John would spend more time with him than at home. The weekends they would just spend at Sherlock's flat. John would let him do his work for a little while before demanding his attention. It wasn't his fault though. He didn't tell the other that he had signed up for the army, it was done before they got this close. He would be gone in August for training. He didn't want to tell him honestly. 

That's why John was laying on his couch, watching as Sherlock scribbled away at the papers before him. He looked at the time. He had been at it for three hours now. That should have been enough time. John smirked and looked towards the ceiling. He let out an audible sigh, his hand falling to the floor with a thud. 

Sherlock had been working for the past few hours, grading papers and reading essays. He knew John was growing bored but that's why he was doing it. They were the finals from all his classes, the last he had to do. The more he got done now the more time he could spend with John during the day and that night. He already had something special planned for after his graduation. It was going to be something they both wanted to do for a while. 

He wasn't surprised when he heard the groan from John, he only sat up a bit, looking over his shoulder. "Do you need something, Mr. Watson," he asked with a smile. 

John sent a glare over at him before he motioned for him to come over. "Yes, I need my Sherlock," he mumbled. "And I want to get out and do something." 

Sherlock looked him over. "From the looks of it you are ready for bed," he stated, referring to the boxers John was just lounging in. 

John sat up, shaking his head. "I took a shower and didn't want to get fully dressed," he told him with a laugh. He pushed himself off the couch and moved over to him. "And I want to go out and eat with you." He leaned down and kissed his neck. "Please." 

Sherlock let his eyes slide close, titling his head to the side. However, John didn't continue and he was a bit disappointed. "I suppose we can do that," he said as he stood up. He turned around, pulling John into a kiss. He ran his fingers through his hair, holding him there for a moment before pulling away. "Alright, go get dressed," he said softly. He slapped his arse before he went to go get his jacket. He smiled softly, pulling it on and checking his pockets. 

When John came back out he held out his jacket for him. John kissed his cheek before pulling it on. "Where should we go out to eat?" He asked with a small hum. 

"Well, I was thinking that its such a nice day that we can go out and have ourselves a picnic," Sherlock said with a smile. "Pick up a few things from the shop and go to the park:" 

John smiled at the idea and nodded. "Sounds like a good plan to me," he agreed. He took his hand and pulled him to the door. "Come on then." 

Sherlock smiled and opened the door. His hand slipped from John's, letting it fall to his side. "So, do you know what we may need?" He asked with a smile. 

"Oh, I know exactly what we'll need for this," John told him with a smile, his hand feeling empty now. He hated having to hide. He shoved his hands in his pockets. It was a lot weirder to see them holding hands than it was just to be with him. He was okay with it. One more day and they would be fine. That's all they needed. 

They made it to the market and John hurried inside. "You get us our drinks, I'll grab everything else," he said. He looked around real quick before pecking his lips and running off. 

Sherlock laughed softly as he watched the other run off. He went and grabbed them a few drinks that they both would enjoy. He found a few other things as well. He decided to go find John and stopped when he spotted him, but he wasn't alone. He saw Sarah standing with him and they were talking. Sherlock felt a knot of jealousy in his stomach and wondered if he should interrupt. 

He decided to just stay put. Let John be the kid he was. 

John laughed softly as Sarah told him about how her dog woke her up that morning. She caught him while he was looking over the chips and they had been talking ever since. 

John spotted Sherlock and smiled a bit. He looked at Sarah. "I've got to go," he told her. 

"Wait," she said. "Before you go. Um....would you like to go out again sometime?" She bit her lip, tugging on her sleeve. "I think it will go a lot better this time." 

Oh those words sent a hit to Sherlock's gut. He should just leave, wait for John at the checkouts. It's not like he could walk up to him and tell the other that he was his. But what if John said yes?

"Actually, I'm seeing someone," John told her with a small laugh. "He's waiting for me too so I'm sorry but I have to go." 

Sherlock couldn't help but smile. He moved out of their sights before heading to the checkouts. It wouldn't be good if she saw him and John together. 

He didn't hear the rest of the conversation but he saw John coming over to him. "Hey, sorry about that," he said softly, putting the food on the belt. "She caught me and I couldn't get away." 

Sherlock hummed softly and set down his items as well. "You didn't want to go on another date with her?" He asked, looking at John with a smirk. 

John rolled his eyes. "No, someone else decided they were going to take my heart," he laughed softly. He looked over at him, smiling. He spotted Sarah again and she came to their line. 

"Hey," she laughed. She looked at Sherlock. "Wow, it's a small world, Mr. Holmes. I didn't think I would see you both here." 

Sherlock smiled down at her. "Yes, well it seems Saturday is a shopping day," he said. He put the divider between his and John's things. 

Sarah nodded. "Are you happy school is over?" she asked. 

Sherlock nodded. "Yes I am," he grinned. He looked at John with a smirk before looking back to her. "I get to relax and spend time with my loved ones." 

"What about you John?" Sarah asked. 

John pulled out his wallet to pay for the food he grabbed and looked back at her. "Yeah, I'm excited. I'll get to spend some time with friends and family before I have to leave." 

Sherlock's head snapped around, his eyes narrowing at John. Leave? Why was he leaving? He wanted to ask but he was sure it would end in a fight. Mostly because Sherlock would make it end in a fight somehow. 

"Oh yeah, I forgot you told me," Sarah said with a smile. "It's still scary I think. What if you get sent off?" 

Sherlock didn't take his eyes off John. Ah; the army. Of course. How could he not see? John looked ashamed, shrugging a bit. "Yeah, well it will be okay," he said softly. "If it happens it happens." He licked his lips. "I'm going to go outside and see if my ride is here. I'll see you two tomorrow." 

John quickly left the store and went to go sit in Sherlock's car. He waited for Sherlock to come out. He had to figure out how he was going to deal with this. 

Though he didn't have long. 

Sherlock was already out and walking towards the car. He shot a glance over his shoulder before climbing in. Without a word he started the car and started to drive. He was still in a bit of shock. How could he be such an idiot.

John could tell that Sherlock didn't want to talk. He just looked down into his lap, playing with his fingers. Today was supposed to be nice. He had to ruin it. 

Eventually Sherlock sighed, his shoulders slumping. "John," he whispered softly. 

"I didn't tell you because honestly I forgot about it and for the longest time I didn't think anything like this would happen," John told him before he could go further. He turned so he could face him. "When I signed up it was so I could get out of my father's house. I didn't want to stay in this horrible town anymore. This was all before...."

"Me," Sherlock finished for him. He sighed, running his fingers through his hair. He needed to think about this rationally. John was an adult. He could do as he pleased. "I understand. I want to leave as well." 

John reached over, taking his hand and started to play with his fingers. "But I don't want to leave you," he said quietly. "I will finish my training and if you still want me I will come back to you. We can live together. Be a proper couple." 

Sherlock nodded, shifting his hand to the wheel. He needed to think. This was ridiculous. When he pulled the car to a stop by the park he turned to John. "What if you get deployed?" He asked quietly. 

"Then I get deployed," John answered, his shoulder's sagging a bit. "Deployment doesn't mean death. It just means time away. I know that will be hard but we can do it." He took Sherlock's hand again, kissing it gently. "I promise everything will be okay." 

Sherlock couldn't help but laugh gently. "How are you acting like the adult when I'm here being selfish?" 

"You're not being selfish, trust me this is something everyone worries about," John told him. "I don't want to be deployed as much as you don't want me to. But if it happens then I will take it and I will do it with as much pride and courage as I can. The army will train me to become a better person, to be able to fight. I will be fine." 

Sherlock let out a small sigh but nodded. He moved closer to John, pressing a kiss to his lips before he got out of the car. He grabbed the bags and waited for John to join him. 

John was right. Everything was going to be okay. They would still be together. John would be fine. 

"Here, let me take a few of those bags," John laughed, taking the bags from Sherlock. He smiled softly, nudging Sherlock. "Are we better?" 

Sherlock nodded, smiling a bit. "We are," he said softly. "But we still have a lot to talk about. This is your life but I want to try to be apart of it." 

He led John to a secluded area before setting everything down. "I'm sorry we don't have a blanket," he smiled. "Still never replaced it in my car. 

John chuckled softly, shrugging his shoulder. "That's alright," he said softly, pulling him into a quick kiss. "This is perfect." He pulled back before sitting down. He pulled out the snacks he picked out, motioning for Sherlock to sit as well. "I chose this just for you." He held out some chocolate for him. "I saw it and thought you needed a bit of sweetening up. 

Sherlock rolled his eyes, pushing him gently as he took the chocolate. He leaned over and pecked his lips before he opened the chocolate. "Thank you," he said softly. 

John smiled, gently nudging him back. "You're welcome babe," he said softly. 

Sherlock blushed, shaking his head. He kissed him gently before he started to get their food ready. Today was going to be a good one despite their hiccup. 

Sherlock knew that everything was going to be alright. They had a time before John left. They were going to grow closer together and things were going to be just fine. 

Or so he hoped. 

x

John has to admit that he had butterflies in his stomach. He was nervous about graduating for some reason. Sherlock helped him get dressed into a suit that he bought him and told him how proud he was. 

If only John's dad cared as much as Sherlock did. Though, if he did John probably wouldn't have spent so much time with Sherlock and they would have never ended up together. John was grateful for that. 

Now though, John was sitting in the auditorium waiting for his row to go up. He looked around at the group of teachers and grinned when he saw Sherlock. 

His row stood up and he gave him a wink before he started to move. He balled his hands into fists to try to stop himself from fiddling with them. He moved across the stage, looking across the crowd. He spotted his dad and his step faltered a bit. 

He didn't even know that the man knew the graduation date. He quickly pushed himself of of his trance and hurried off the stage. Soon he was back in his seat and he wanted it to be over with quickly. 

John looked over at his dad and didn't even notice when they were congratulated for doing such a great job. When they were told they were free to go John quickly got up and went to go see his father. 

Sherlock watched as John hurried through the crowd. He frowned at that, wondering where he was going so quickly. Then he spotted the man that could only be John's dad. He had never met the man before. He didn't think now would be the best time to introduce himself as John's boyfriend. But as a teacher it would be fine. 

He was still nervous. 

But for now he was going to let them have their moment. They were going to need it. 

Hugo Watson watched as his son made his way over to him. His eyes traveling over his frame with a small smile. When he was close he decided to speak up, "You haven't been home in a while." 

John' shrugged his shoulder, looking down at his feet. "I've been busy," he muttered before he looked up at him. "I'm surprised that you show up at all." 

"Of course I was going to show up, you're my son and I thought it would be best if I were here;" he told him. "Why wouldn't I be here?" 

"You weren't here for everything else," John spat, unable to help himself. He shook his head, trying to laugh it off but it sounded forced. He clenched his teeth together, trying to let out some kind of pent up anger. "You know what, it doesn't matter. You don't have to pretend like you want to be here. I'll have all my stuff out of your place by tomorrow and you'll never have to see me again." 

Hugo shook his head slowly. "John, I don't want that," he said, moving closer to his son. 

John took a step back but he was met with a solid objet. 

Sherlock let out a puff as John hit him. "Hello there, Mr. Watson," he said with a smile. He had seen them talking, had seen how worked up John was getting. He didn't want him to do anything he may regret. "Congratulations on making it." 

John looked at Sherlock, relaxing just a bit. "Thank you, sir," he said softly. He threw a glance to his dad. "This is my famous father," he muttered, motioning to him. 

Hugo offered a smile to Sherlock and held out his hand. "It's nice to meet you," he said quietly. 

Sherlock could see that the man was tired, that he wanted to make things better with John. Though it wasn't the right time. Not yet. John needed to find himself, have time away from him. "It's nice to meet you as well," he returned. "John here was an excellent student of mine. He always had his work done and was the top of my class. I do hope you're proud of him." 

"I am," Hugo assured him with a grin. 

John rolled his eyes, huffing out a laugh. "Sure you are," he muttered. "We were just talking about how I'm moving out." 

"John, you don't have to," Hugo told him. "Please. I need you." 

John sighed, looking down at his feet before he looked at Sherlock. "No, you don't need me. You just don't want to work. Come on Mr. Holmes, I don't want to stick around here anymore." 

Sherlock frowned but he was going to let John do as he pleased. He was an adult after all. He motioned for John to lead the way. When he walked ahead a bit Sherlock turned to talk with Hugo. "I am sure he will come around and you two will be able to reconcile. I wish you the best of luck, Mr. Watson," he told him before he left. 

He didn't hear anything else from the man as he catcher up with John. "Are you okay?" He asked quietly. 

"Of course," John said sharply. He didn't like his father. He had used him to keep the house running for years and was never there for him when he needed help. So now he was just going to leave him behind. 

Sherlock nodded, putting a hand on his shoulder. "It will be okay," he assured him. "Come on, lets go home. I have a surprise." 

John smiled softly, looking up at him. He glanced around before nodding. "Let's go home." 

They walked out of the school together, though they were careful not to be seen getting in the same care. John was just happy to have a place he actually wanted to go home to now. 

John looked at Sherlock as they drove off, taking his hand and squeezing it. "Home," he whispered, looking out the window. 

For now.


End file.
